Electric control system



June 29, 1937. H. w. LORD 2,085,595

ELECTRIC CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- Harold W. Lord,

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June 29,1937. H, w, LORD 2,085,596

ELECTRIC CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 Am vv Invent; or: Harold W. Lord,

Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC CONTROL SYSTEM Harold W. Lord, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric of New York Company, a corporation Application January 2, 1936, Serial No. 57,190

8 Claims.

My invention relates to electric control circuits and more particularly to phase shifting circuits for providing control potentials which vary in different manners within different predetermined 5 ranges of an electrical quantity.

It is frequently desirable in electric control circuits to provide control potentials which vary in phase displacement within different predeter mined ranges of an electrical quantity. For ex- 10 ample, in electric control circuits for electrical apparatus, such as dynamo-electric machines, variable impedance devices and electric valves, there has been evidenced a need for apparatus to provide a control potential which has a predetermined phase displacement within a predetermined range of an electrical condition of the apparatus and which has a different predeter-' mined phase relation within a different predetermined range of the electrical condition. It is necessary in many instances to control a predetermined electrical or operating characteristic of electric apparatus of this nature when the voltage of an associated circuit is subjected to widely sponse to variations in electrical conditions of a supply circuit for the valvesor consumption apparatus.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved phase shifting circuit.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved phase shifting circuit whereby a control potential is provided which has a predetermined phase displacement within one range of an electrical condition and which has -15 other predetermined phase displacements for different ranges of the electrical condition.

A further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved means for obtaining a periodic control potential which varies in phase displacement in a predetermined manner within a predetermined range of the electrical condition and which varies in phase displacement in a different manner within a different predetermined range of the electrical condition.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved phase shifting circuit for obtaining a periodic control potential which is retarded in phase displacement relative to an electrical quantity within a predetermined range of the electrical quantity and whichis ad'- vanced in phase relative to the electrical quantity within a difierent range of the electrical quantity.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I provide an electrical control system which is susceptible of varied and modifled application where it is desired to provide constant or varying output characteristics of electrical apparatus under varying operating conditions. By means of an excitation circuit comprising a non-linear resonant circuit and a source of alternating potential, I provide a resultant periodic potential which has predetermined difi'erent phase displacements relative to an electrical condition for predetermined different ranges of the electrical condition. In the specific embodiment illustrated, a non-linear resonant circuit of the series type is energized from an alternating current circuit, the voltage of which is to be controlled. The voltage appearing across a capacitance in the non-linear resonant circuit is combined with a voltage which varies in accordance with the voltage of the electric circuit to provide a resultant periodic potential having predetermined variable phase displacements for different predetermined ranges of voltages of the alternating current circuit. More specifically, in the embodiment illustrated, the field winding of an alternating current dynamoelectric machine of the synchronous type is energized from an alternating current circuit through electric valve translating apparatus in accordance with the voltage of the alternating current circuit. The above described excitation circuit is employed to control the conductivity of the elec-v tric valves of the translating circuit to obtain a desired output or operating characteristic of the dynamo-electric machine. By the proper design of the excitation circuit including the non-linear resonant circuit, the energization of the field winding and hence the operating characteristics of thedynamo-electric machine may be controlled in different predetermined manners for different predetermined rangesof the voltage of the alternating current supply circuit.

The control system relating to the control of electric valve translating apparatus is disclosed and broadly claimed in my copending divisional application Serial No. 89,597, filed July 8. 1936] and assigned to the assignee of the present application; and the control system relating to the matically an embodiment of my invention as applied to an electric valve circuit for energizing the field circuit of a dynamo-electric machine; While Fig. 2 represents certain operating characteristics of apparatus embodying my invention. Diagrams I to V of Fig. 3 also represent certain operating characteristics of the apparatus diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, my invention is diagrammatically shown as applied to an electric valve circuit I for supplying direct current to a field winding 3 of a dynamo-electric machine 2, having a three-phase stator winding 4. The electric valve circuit I and the stator winding 4 are energized from a three-phase alternating current circuit 5. The electric valve translating circuit I may comprise any suitable valve aggregate for transmitting energy to the field circuit 3 and I have shown by way of example a pair of electric valves 6 and 1, preferably of the vapor electric type, having anodes 8, cathodes 9 and control electrodes III. A transformer II, having a secondary winding I2 and an electrical mid-tap I2, is energized from the alternating current circuit 5 through conductors I3, and is employed to connect the valves 6 and I for full wave rectification. The field winding 3 of machine 2 is connected to the electric valve circuit I by means 01' conductors I 4.

To provide means for controlling the conductivity of electric valves 6 and I, I provide an excitation circuit I5 which responds to an electrical condition of the alternating current circuit 5, to control the voltage impressed upon the respective control electrodes ID of valves Ii and 1. The excitation circuit I5 may be arranged to control the electric valve circuit I in a manner to provide a predetermined operating characteristic over a certain range of voltage of the circuit 5 and to provide a different operating characteristic over a different range of voltages. The excitation circuit I5 comprises a non-linear resonant circuit of the series type employing 2. capacitance l6, and self-saturating inductance or reactor I1 and an adjustable resistance l8 having. a movable tap or contact I9. Conductors 20 are employed to connect the non-linear series circuit to one phase of the alternating current circuit 5. A transformer 2| having a primary winding 22 and a secondary winding 23 and energized from the alternating current circuit 5 by conductors 24 is employed to furnish a sinusoidal voltage with which an electrical quantity of'the non-linear circuit is combined to control the conductivity of valves 6 and I. The resultant of the voltage appearing across capacitance I6 and the voltage appearing across winding 23 of transformer 2I is impressed upon primary winding 26 of transformer 25 by means of conductors 28 and 29. The terminals of the secondary winding 21 are connected to the control electrodes II) of electric valves 6 and 1 through conductors 3B and self-biasing circuits each comprising a current limiting resistance 3| and a capacitance 32. A mid-point 21' of secondary winding 21 is connected to the cathodes 9 of electric valves 6 and l by means of a conductor 33.

Although my invention is represented as being applied to a system for energizing the field winding of a dynamo-electric machine, it should be understood that it may be applied to electric circuits generally.

The operation of the embodiment of my invention diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 may be best explained by considering the arrangement when unidirectional current is being supplied to the field winding 3 of the dynamo-electric machine 2 from alternating current circuit 5 by means of electric valves 6 and 1 and the associated transformer II. If it be assumed that the voltage of circuit 5 is less than the voltage at which the non-linear circuit resonates, the arrangement will function as a bi-phase rectifier, and there will be substantial phase coincidence between the voltages impressed on the control electrodes I9 and the voltages impressed on valves 6 and I. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, if there is substantial phase coincidence between the voltages impressed upon the control electrodes I0 and the voltages impressed between the respective anodes 8 and the cathodes 9, the average current conducted by the valves will be maximum and the direct current voltage will be maximum. As the phase of the voltage impressed upon the control electrodes I0 is retarded relative to the voltage impressed between the anodes 8 and cathodes 9 of the electric valves 6 and I, the average current conducted by the valves will be decreased to effect a decrease in voltage of the direct current circuit Id.

In the particular arrangement of my invention shown in Fig. l, the electric valve circuit I is arranged so that upon decrease in the voltage of the alternating current circuit 5, the voltage of the direct current circuit I4 may be maintained constant or may be increased or decreased. If it is'desired to obtain an increase in the voltage of the direct current circuit I4 upon decrease in the vpltage of alternating current circuit .5, the excitation circuit I5 is arranged so that during'a normal range of voltage of the alternating current circuit 5 the voltages impressed upon the control electrodes I0 of electric valves 6 and I lag the voltages impressed between the respective anodes and the cathodes by an appreciable angle or phase displacement. This phase relationship is accomplished by selecting the constants of the non-linear circuit so that for operation above a predetermined range of voltages of the alternating current circuit 5 the excitation circuit I5 effects a retardation in the phase of the voltages impressed on the control electrodes Ill. The critical resonance voltage of the non-linear circuit is chosen relative to the voltage of circuit 5 so that as the voltage of circuit 5 decreases, the phase of the potentials impressed upon the control members I0 is advanced to increase the average current conducted by the valves, effecting thereby a net increase in the voltage of direct current circuit I4.

The operation of the excitation circuit.I5 may be best explained by considering the diagrams of Fig. 3 of the drawings. Referring to Diagram I, the curve a represents the anode-cathode voltage impressed upon one of the electric valves, for example, electric valve 6. This voltage is considerably less than the critical resonance voltage of the non-linear circuit of excitation circuit a certain impressed voltage. However, under'the' I5. The curve b. represents the voltage appearing across the secondary winding 23* of transformer 2I' and'the curve 0 represents the voltage appearing across the capacitance I6, while the curve at represents the resultant voltage impressed upon the primary winding 26'. of transformer 25. During operation below the critical resonance voltage, it will be apparent that the voltage appearing across the capacitance li, and

represented by curve 0, is relatively small. compared with the other voltages existing in the excitation circuit I5 and that the capacitance voltage lags the voltage of circuit 5 by substantially 180 electrical degrees. However, as the voltage of alternating current circuit 5 approaches the critical resonance voltage of the non-linear circuit, represented by the curve e of Diagram I, the voltage ofcapacitance I6 is increased in magnitude and advanced in phase to effect a retardation of the voltage impressed upon the control electrode I0.

Diagram II represents certain voltagesin the excitation circuit as the voltage of the alternat ing current 5 approaches the resonance voltage. Curve 1 of Diagram 11 represents the voltage now appearing across the secondary winding 23 of transformer 2| and curve grrepresents the voltage appearing across the capacitance I6, while curve h represents the resultant voltage impressed upon the primary winding 26 of transformer 25. voltage of the alternating current circuit 5 ap proaches the critical resonance voltage,.the re-,

gram I, since there is substantial phase coincidence between the voltages impressed upon the control electrodes Ill of electric valves 6 and I and the voltages impressed upon the electric valves, the output voltage will be maximum for conditions of operation represented by thecurves of Diagram II, since the voltages impressed upon the controlelectrodes I0 have been retarded in phase relative to the voltages impressed between the anodes and cathodes, the average current conducted byrthe'electric valves will be substantially less than the. average current conducted under the conditions of operation represented in Diagram I. The voltage impressed upon the direct current circuit I4 by the electric valves 6 and -'I under the operating conditions represented by the curves of Diagram II, that is,v when thevoltagesimpressed upon the control electrodes III lag the voltages impressed upon the electric valves 6 and I by the transformer II, ,is represented by the curve 7" of Diagram III; It should be understood that curve-1i represents the voltage of circuit I4 when there is appreciable inductance in the circuit.

The curves of Diagram. IV represent the circuit voltages appearing in the excitation circuit I5 and the phase displacement obtainable-by,

using different'constants for the elements I6, I1, and I8 to obtain a greater phase displacement' than that shown in Diagram 11. It will be understood that by a proper choice of constants for the non-linear circuit comprising ca- It will be understood that as the 1 pacitance I6, self-saturating inductance I "I and resistance I8, it is possibleto control the range of phase displacement obtainable between the voltages impressed upon the control electrodes II) of electric valves 6 and I and the voltages impressed between the anodes 8 and the cathodes 9. of these valves, and hence to obtain a considerable variation in the control of the voltage of direct current circuit I4.

Diagram V represents the voltages appearing in the excitation circuit I5 when the voltage of circuit 5 is increased beyond the critical resonance voltage region where the resistance I8 has a suitable value; curve I represents the voltage appearing across the secondary winding 23 of transformer 2|, curve 9 represents the voltage appearing across the capacitance I6, and curve It represents the resultant voltage impressed upon the primary winding 26 of transformer 25. It will-be noted that the voltage of capacitance I6 is advanced in phase relative to the voltage of transformer winding 23 and is increased in magnitude to effect a decrease in phase displacement between the voltage h impressed upon primary winding 26 of transformer 25 and the voltage of I the circuit 5 as the latter voltage increases beyond direct current circuit I4 as a function of the voltage of alternating current circuit 5 for various values of the resistance I8 where the load circuit I4 comprises inductance. resent the relation between the voltage of direct current circuit I4 and the voltage of alternating current circuit 5 for different values for the resistance I8, of increasing value in the order named, while curve 10 is merely a reference line. By the choice of values for resistance I8 relative to the voltage of the alternating current supply circuit 5- andthe values of capacitance I6 and inductance II, it is possible to obtain a variety of operating characteristics for the apparatus employed. For example, with a relatively high value of resistance for the element I8, represented by curve 0 of Fig. 2, it is possible to obtain a' substantially constant voltage in circuit I4 for voltages in circuit- 5 above a predetermined value. From the point q to the point 0' on curve 0, the

increase in the direct current voltage is effected by trodes I0 and the potentials impressed between the anodes 8 and the cathodes 9 of electric valves 6 and 1. At the voltage represented by point 0 of the curve 0, the voltage of the alternatingcurrent circuit 5 approaches the critical resonance voltage region for the excitation circuit I5 and effects thereby a retardation in the phase of the voltage impressed upon the control electrodes I0. Upon further increase in the voltage of the alter hating, current circuit 5, there is efiected a further retardation in the voltage impressed upon the control electrodes to maintain a substantially constant voltage of the direct current circuit I4 represented by the portion of curve 0 beyond 0. By choosing a smaller value of resistance for the element I8, it is possibe to obtain operating characteristics represented by the curves is, m and ii.

The operating characteristic represented by curve m of Fig. 2 is of particular interest since it Curves k, m, n and 0 rep shows a substantially linear increase in value of the direct current voltage for increases in the alternating current voltage between the points q and m. Upon further increase in the alternating current voltage into the region of the critical resonance voltage of the excitation circuit 15, represented by the curves of Diagram IV of Fig. 3, there is effected a retardation in the phase displacement of the resultant excitation circuit voltage it relative to the voltage a of the alternating current circuit 5 to effect a decrease in the voltage of direct current circuit l4 represented by the portion of the curve between points m and m". For voltages greater than the voltage corresponding to the point m there is effected a progressive advancement in the phase of the voltages impressed upon the control electrodes l relative to the voltages impressed upon electric valves 6 and 1, which increases the average current conducted by electric valves 6 and l to increase the voltage of the direct current circuit M. The phase relationships of the voltages appearing in excitation circuit 15 within therange of voltages represented by m and m of curve m, are represented in Diagram IV of Fig. 3, while the phase relationships for voltages of circuit having a greater value than that represented by point m on curve m are shown in Diagram V.

If the constants of the excitation circuit l5 are chosen to obtain an operating characteristic as represented by the curve n of Fig. 2, the electric valve circuit I may be made to operate to control the energization of the field winding 3 of the dynamo-electric machine 2 to maintain a predetermined pull-out torque under varying voltage conditions of circuit 5. If the excitation circuit I5 is designed to operate in the region beyond 11' on curve 11, the excitation circuit will effect an increase in the voltage impressed upon direct current circuit l4 as the voltage of alternating current circuit decreases. In this manner, as the voltage of the alternating current circuit is decreased, the energization of the field winding 3 will be increased to maintain a predetermined minimum pull-out torque. Of course, to obtain this characteristic the voltage of the alternating current circuit ti must be in the region of the critical resonance voltage of the non-linear circuit of excitation circuit l5. The rates at which the cncrgization of the field winding 3 is varied in response to variations in the voltage of the alternating current circuit 5 may be controlled by choosing various different values for the resistance While I have shown and described my invention as applied to a particular system of connections and as embodying various devices diagrammatically shown, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention, and I. therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. In combination, an alternating current circuit, a non-linear resonant circuit being connected to said alternating current circuit, means for deriving a component of voltage from said alternating current circuit, and means responsive to a resultant of an electrical quantity of said nonlinear circuit and said component of voltage for producing a voltage having a predetermined phase relation with the voltage of said alternating current circuit over a predetermined range of voltaosasec ages applied to said non-linear circuit and a differentpredetermined phase relation over a different range of voltages appliedto said non-linear circuit.

2. Incombination, an alternating current circuit, means comprising a non-linear resonant circuit and a source of alternating voltage, and means responsive to a resultant of an electrical quantity of said non-linear circuit and to said alternating voltage for obtaining a periodic potential having a substantially constant phase displacement relative .to the voltage of said alternating current circuit within a predetermined range of voltages and for effecting a retardation in the phase of said periodic potential for values of voltage beyond said range.

3. In combination, an alternating current circuit, means comprising a source of alternating voltage and a non-linear resonant circuit, and means responsive to the resultant of an electrical quantity of said non-linear circuit and said alterhating voltage for obtaining a periodic voltage having a substantially constant phase displacement relative to the voltage of said alternating current circuit within a predetermined range of voltages-of said alternating current circuit and for effecting retardation in the phase of said periodic voltage for voltages within a predetermined range above said first-mentioned range and an advancement in the phase of said periodic voltage within a third range of voltages above said second-mentioned range of voltages.

4. In combination, an alternating current circuit, a non-linear resonant circuit connected to vsaid alternating current circuit, means for deriving a component of voltage from said alternating current circuit, and means responsive to a resultant of an electrical quantity of said non-linear circuit and said component of voltage for producing a voltage having different predetermined phase relationships with the voltage of said alternating current circuit within different predetermined ranges of voltages of said alternating current circuit.

5. In combination, an alternating current circuit, means comprising a non-linear resonant circuit energized from said circuit, a source of alternating potential, and means responsive to a resultant of an electrical quantity ofsaid non-linear circuit and said alternating voltage for obtaining a periodic voltage which is progressively retarded in phase relative to the voltage of said alternating current circuit within a predetermined range of voltages of said alternating current circuit and which is progressively advanced in phase within a different predetermined range of voltages of said alternating current circuit.

6. In combination, an alternating current circuit, means energized from said circuit comprising a non-linear resonant circuit including a serially connectedresistance, a saturable inductance and a capacitance, a source of alternating voltage, means responsive to the resultant of the voltage appearing across said capacitance and the voltage of said source for producing a periodic voltage having different predetermined phase displacements relative to the voltage of said alternating current circuit within different predetermined ranges of voltages of said alternating current circuit. I

7. In combination, an alternating current circuit, a non-linear resonant circuit energized from said circuit and comprising a serially connected resistance, a saturable inductance and a capacitance, a source of alternating voltage, and means responsive to a resultant of the voltage of said source and the voltage of said capacitance for providing a periodic voltage having a substantially constant phase displacement relative to the voltage of said alternating current circuit Within a predetermined range of voltages of said alternating current circuit and for efiecting a progressive retardation in phase of said periodic voltage for values of voltage beyond said range.

8. "In combination, an alternating current circuit, a non-linear resonant circuit energized from said circuit and comprising a serially connected resistance, a saturable inductance and a capacitance, a source of alternating voltage, and means responsive to the resultant of the voltage of said source and the voltage appearing across said capacitance for obtaining a periodic voltage having a substantially constant phase displacement relative to the voltage of said alternating current circuit within a predetermined range of voltages of said alternating current circuit and for effect ing a progressive retardation in the phase of said periodic voltage Within a range above said firstmentioned range and for effecting a progressive advancement in phase of said periodic voltage within a third range of voltages above said secondmentioned range of voltages.

HAROLD W. LORD. 

